Presently, sensors are utilized in numerous environments and products. Moreover, sensors are employed for numerous purposes including, safety, defense, detection, environment monitoring and the like.
In addition, sensors are sophisticated in operation, calibration and even maintenance. As such, training personnel in the operation of sensors including application, the proper methodology of use, calibration and repair is a significant investment in time, training and cost. Moreover, if the sensor is miss-calibrated, improperly installed, incorrectly located, or the like, detection capabilities of the sensor can become significantly reduced.
For example, an out of calibration, miss-calibrated or improperly located sensor can result in a false positive with respect to a failure. In addition, the false positive may result in the shutdown of an otherwise properly functioning system. In most cases, the shutdown of a properly functioning system can result in costs that are many times greater than the cost of fixing or replacing the miss-calibrated or improperly located sensor.
However, a second problem with a false positive from a sensor is that it is usually better to err on the side of caution and shut down the system than risk the loss of functionality or even the destruction of the system being monitored. Thus, even if a user felt certain that the sensor was providing an erroneous false positive, numerous liability issues would prompt the user to shut down the system for inspection and/or repair.